Rotary Clubs
Gloria is proud to be a Rotarian and there are two areas of Rotary focus that she works hard on – Education and Environment.
Gloria helps Rotary Clubs around the world to get involved with their local Primary Schools.
Why not contact her – and suggest a date for a Weird Fish Lady visit to a school in your area?
Read the feedback below about Gloria’s Weird Fish Lady Visit to a nominated Primary School.
“Here at the Rotary Club of Cardiff Bay, we were delighted to work with Gloria Barnett – the Weird Fish Lady, when we funded a ZOOM visit from her to the Whitchurch Primary School.
We booked 12th November. Plans were agreed between the Weird Fish Lady and our lead Year 5 teacher Nikki and the day soon came around.
The zoom visit started with a 20-minute narrated video to the whole of KS2 in Assembly. (Years 4, 5 and 6). This talk was designed to help understanding of the ocean world and life in the oceans.
Break-out sessions followed with individual classes of Year 5 pupils.
The breakout sessions were based on video information (including original film clips) and Q&A sessions with the children.
There are three specific areas which the WeirdFish Lady helped our children to understand:
- i) ‘Save the Planet’ – where children learn about the problems of excess carbon dioxide in the oceans and the root cause – fossil fuels!
- ii) ‘Alien World’ – the oceans as seen through the eyes of a scuba diver’
iii) ‘Night diving’ – followed by a quiz.
We managed to manipulate the timings so that the Year 5 children in Whitchurch Primary were able to do all three breakout sessions.
The children were keen to ask questions and they were obviously enjoying their morning.
The teacher wrote to us afterwards….
“The whole experience has been invaluable in raising the children’s awareness – Thank you again for making it possible!’
Rotary Club of Cardiff Bay paid the UK £50 fee to the Weird Fish Lady for the visit to the school, and amazingly, in return for this fee, we received a £50 voucher to spend on resources for the school. This is an incredibly generous offer – but based on Gloria’s wishes to get as many Weird Fish Lady resources into schools as possible. In consultation with our teacher Nikki, Gloria sent us a parcel containing a complete set of the 3-book series of Lucy Morgan Adventure Stories for 8-12-year olds, plus two non-fiction books The Amazing World Beneath the Waves and 50 Fabulous Facts about Ocean Creatures. This really was a win-win offer – and we in RCCB were delighted to take part in educating young people about their planet, and in particular the oceans. We recommend all Rotary clubs get involved in this educational project.
Mary Davies. Rotary Club of Cardiff Bay. December 2021
(Please note: Rotary Clubs not in the UK are also eligible for the ‘Book Voucher’ mentioned above but the system for non-UK Clubs will be – don’t pay the ‘visit’ fee – but promise to buy the books from your Club funds, through your local Amazon – or other national book store (Barnes and Noble for the USA, Fishpond.com for Australia and Indigo for Canada) and donate books to the value of £50 to your school.)
Good work done by Rotary Clubs in association with the Weird Fish Lady!
Since 2020 – The RC of Chestfield, Kent gifted 120 copies of ‘Eye of the Turtle to Year 6 Primary School pupils in Kent as leaving presents.
RC of Pontllanfraith purchasd 33 ‘Eye of the Turtle’ books for their local school libraries.
RC of Lunesdale purchased a sample book packs for each of the primary schools in their area.
RC of Sidcup purchased sample book packs and Teacher’s Resources for one of their local schools.
RC of Chelwood Bridge purchased copies of every resource published by the Weird Fish Lady and gifted them to local schools.
eRotary Club of West Scotland purchased teacher’s resources.
RC of Titsey purchased 42 books as leaving presents for a Primary School in Surrey.
RC of Godalming purchased Teacher Resources and FIVE sample book packs.
RC of Prestatyn purchased books for NINE schools in Wales,
Plus: RC City of Liverpool, RC Irvine Seagate – Scotland, RC Addiscombe & Shirley – Surrey, RC Kew Gardens – London, RC Lewisham & Penge – London, RC Seagate – East Sussex, RC West Wickham all gifted books and teacher’s resources to their local schools.
Thank you to all these Rotary Club Heroes around the UK
A Teacher’s Comments. ‘We loved receiving these books. It was a lovely surprise and super that the Rotary Club thought of us. Our children love reading books and they are very keen on our environment, especially protecting our world. These books are wonderful. Thank you so very much. It was kind of you to think of our children in Prestatyn. We are very grateful for the donation.’
Gloria’s Own Local Heroes !
Gloria is a member of the Rotary Club of Canterbury Sunrise and reports on their work.
” I have visited nine local schools over a two-year period – completing Weird Fish Lady workshops, whole school visits during Science week, and visits to separate Year 4, Year 5 and two Year 6 visits. I revisited one school again at the end of the term and gifted 60 books to those Year 6 leavers. We also gifted Teacher’s Resources to other local schools.
My Club also completed an Environmental Grant Project to refurbish an Outdoor Learning Area in the grounds of a Canterbury Primary School. We worked with Rotary Clubs in Germany and Winchester, UK, to raise funds for the project. Members of my Club also gave their time to get ‘hand’s on’ with tree planting, refurbishment of a pond and laying weed-resistant materials. The Club also donated three outside study area bench tables.
Thank you to all those Rotarians in the Rotary Club of Canterbury Sunrise who have given so much time and energy to working with schools this year – a fantastic record of both Environmental and Educational support for these local Canterbury Schools.
You are my Special Heroes – and yes – I am biased !!!”